Apparatus for controlling semiconductor manufacturing process

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing process includes, a filter which receives from semiconductor processing devices first process parameters for processing a wafer and measured data obtained by measuring the wafer, and removes noise from the first process parameters and the measured data, a model generating unit which receives the first process parameters and the measured data from the filter and generates process models for predicting results of processing the wafer, a model selecting unit which selects a process model suitable for processing the wafer from a plurality of the process models stored in the model generating unit according to a received request, a process predicting unit which receives second process parameters for processing the wafer from the semiconductor processing devices, requests and receives the process model to and from the model selecting unit, and predicts a result of processing the wafer using the received process model, and a process controlling unit which receives the predicted result from the process predicting unit and controls the operations of the semiconductor processing devices.

1 . An apparatus for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising: 
 a filter which receives from semiconductor processing devices first process parameters for processing a wafer and measured data obtained by measuring the wafer, and removes noise from the first process parameters and the measured data;    a model generating unit which receives the first process parameters and the measured data from the filter and generates process models for predicting results of processing the wafer;    a model selecting unit which selects a process model suitable for processing the wafer from a plurality of the process models stored in the model generating unit according to a received request;    a process predicting unit which receives second process parameters for processing the wafer from the semiconductor processing devices, requests and receives the process model from the model selecting unit, and predicts a result of processing the wafer using the received process model; and    a process controlling unit which receives the predicted result from the process predicting unit and controls operations of the semiconductor processing devices.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a model database connected to the model generating unit, wherein the model database receives and stores the process models from the model generating unit.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the filter normalizes and analyzes the first process parameters and the measured data.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the model generating unit generates the process models using a non-iteration method.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the model generating unit predicts the result of processing a wafer using the equation  
       Y′=X×P×M×Q′ where X denotes a first process parameter, P denotes a loading vector of the first process parameter, M denotes a matrix, and Q′ denotes the transpose of a loading vector of the measured data.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the matrix is for mapping X and Y, where Y is the measured data defined by the equation Y=U×Q′+F where U denotes a score vector of the measured data and F denotes an error of the measured data.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the process controlling unit issues an alert if it is determined that the wafer is bad.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the process controlling unit stops the operations of the semiconductor processing devices if it is determined that the wafer is bad.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the process controlling unit changes the second process parameters of the semiconductor processing devices if it is determined that the wafer is bad.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the filter receives the first process parameter and the measured data and the process predicting unit receives the second process parameters transmitted from the semiconductor processing devices through a controller.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor processing devices include at least one of an etcher, a lithographer, or a scanning electron microscope.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for generating a process model, comprising: 
 a plurality of semiconductor processing devices;    a controller, wherein the plurality of semiconductor processing devices transmit process parameters and measured data to the controller and the controller collects the process parameters and the measured data during a predetermined period; and    a semiconductor process controlling apparatus including a model generating unit and a model database, wherein:    the model generating unit receives the process parameters and the measured data from the controller; the model generating unit removes noise from the process parameters and the measured data; the model generating unit normalizes and analyzes the process parameters and the measured data; the model generating unit generates process models using the normalized and analyzed process parameters and measured data; and the model database stores the process models.    
   
   
       13 . A method for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising: 
 transmitting process parameters for performing a wafer manufacturing process to a controller;    transmitting the process parameters to a process predicting unit;    requesting a process model from a model selecting unit;    selecting a process model suitable for a wafer manufacturing process from a model database;    transmitting the selected process model to the process predicting unit;    predicting a process result of a wafer using the selected process model;    transmitting the predicted process result to a process controlling unit;    analyzing the predicted process result to determine whether the predicted process result is bad; and    controlling semiconductor processing devices based on the predicted process result.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the process controlling unit controls the semiconductor processing devices using at least one of a proportional integral (PI), a proportional derivative (PD), a proportional integral derivative (PID), a model predictive control (MPC) method, or a modified partial least square (PLS) control method.